Segway by Honda

I see this and I think about the fat people in Wall-E.<p>What's wrong with using your legs?

Stupid for humans, maybe, but that'd be a cool mobility platform for robots.

Like Paul Graham said in July 2009[1] The trouble with the Segway is that it makes you look smug. This thing will make you look even more so.<p>[1]: <a href="http://www.paulgraham.com/segway.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.paulgraham.com/segway.html</a>

A part of me thinks that Honda has solved the problem of walking. Something evolution solved a long time ago. The evolved solution also allows us to go up steps!<p>While it's cool it seems like there is a long way to go before it's useful/cost effective.<p>None of the above undermines the technology btw, just the application.

For those who haven't seen it:<p><a href="http://tlb.org/eunicycle.html" rel="nofollow">http://tlb.org/eunicycle.html</a>

Accidental acceleration will have a whole new set of consequences.<p>No-one has topped motor assist on a bicycle yet. It's fun and useful to be able to move 20+ mph all day without being a top-notch athlete (or while wearing business clothes).

What a waste. I want one. I'm so conflicted. Does wanting to buy consumer oriented yet entirely unnecessary products make me more American, dumb or both?

There is also this device:<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S_SL8IWObY" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S_SL8IWObY</a>

They will need vastly more rugged versions for your average American. I say this being from Texas.

In the mall near me all the security personnel rides around on "conventional" segways, presumably to get to whatever issue arises faster. Mind you the mall is a two story mall with stairs and escalators. What exactly happens if the security office is on the bottom floor and the issue that needs immediate attention is on the top floor? I imagine ditching the segway would be a bad idea.

Power wheelchairs are better, comfortable and ergonomic.<p>But then you'll look like a crippled.<p>So take a La-z-boy and add power wheels to it. Then sell it for $999.

I think, for more or less healthy people (being able to walk) it's the opposite what would be usefull, not sitting/being passive when we were once moving/using our muscles, but running/using muscles when we were once just sitting (more or less passively), I remember a standing desk with a running treadmill underneath as a nice example.

That's actually a pretty cool wheel design.

I'm not particularly impressed by the chair (references to both pg's Segway essay and the fat people in Wall.E come to mind), but I'm very interested in the omniwheel technology.<p>Imagine a wheelchair with one omnidirectional wheel instead of four. That'd make a world of difference for disabled people!

Um...Wow.<p>Aside from Mr. Garrison's gyro-thingie ( <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Entity_%28South_Park%29" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Entity_%28South_Park%29</a> ), that's the most emasculating mode of travel I've ever seen.

Need a monster version built out of top fuel dragster components.

Segway is Dean Kamen's company, not the product. The product is the Human Transporter (or HT). They make other things, too, including the Segway Centaur.

Looks like you have to stoop forward constantly to stay in motion. Not useful as a vehicle, not even for a short while.<p>Maybe useful as an office-chair replacement?

Only practical -- if that! -- during dry days. I wouldn't want to see the state of my pants after using this on a wet pavement or street.

I'd love to see the off-road version!

Slightly faster than walking, without all the messy dignity.

All examples of use are indoors. Rough outdoor floors may prove too much. In any case an impressive device.

They haven't learn anything from Segway, you look utterly ridiculous riding one of those things (even worse than someone riding a Segway).

Note how they didn't let us hear how it sounds, but they visually suggested that one could tour an art gallery. I'm guessing it sounds almost as menacing as Big Dog.